“I think the important thing to understand first and foremost about Michael Jackson is that he was the international emblem of the African American blues spiritual impulse that goes back through slavery - Jim Crow, Jane Crow, up to the present moment, through a Louis Armstrong, through a Ma Rainey, through a Bessie Smith, all the way to John Coltrane, Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone.” ThinkingWayFirstsImportantMomentsSpiritualSlaveryImportant ThingsInternationalAfrican AmericanImpulsePresent MomentJaneCrowFranklinArmstrongJim CrowEmblemsNinaColtrane Author:Cornel West
“The impulse to confession almost always requires the presence of a fresh ear and a fresh heart; and in our moments of spiritual need, the man to whom we have no tie but our common nature, seems nearer to us than mother, brother, or friend. Our daily familiar life is but a hiding of ourselves from each other behind a screen of trivial words and deeds, and those who sit with us at the same hearth, are often the farthest off from the deep human soul within us, full of unspoken evil and unacted good.” MenNeedsHumansHeartSoulMomentsSeemsSpiritualLife IsMotherEvilCommonBehindsHe ManBrotherEarsDeedsScreensFamiliarImpulseTiesHidingConfessionHuman SoulUnspoken Book:Delphi Complete Works of George Eliot (Illustrated) Source: Delphi Complete Works of George Eliot (Illustrated)
“When you awaken to what I call the Authentic Self, which is the spiritual or evolutionary impulse, what begins to emerge is the dawning recognition of the fact that each one of us, at our highest level, is that Authentic Self, which is actually the same energy and intelligence that originally inspired the entire creative process. You begin to intuit and feel directly connected to the very impulse that initiated the whole event fourteen billion years ago and is driving it right now.” FeelsYearsSelfWholeFactsSpiritualEnergyProcessLevelsCreativeEventsRight NowHighestYears AgoInspiredConnectedBillionsDrivingAuthenticityRecognitionImpulseCreative ProcessFourteenAuthentic Self Author:Andrew Cohen
“The gospel shows us that our spiritual problem lies not only in failing to obey God, but also in relying on our obedience to make us fully acceptable to God, ourselves and others. Every kind of character flaw comes from this natural impulse to be our own saviour through our own performance and achievement. On the one hand, proud and disdainful personalities come from basing your identity on your performance and thinking you are succeeding. But on the other hand, discouraged and self loathing personalities also come from basing your identity on your performance and thinking you are failing.” ThinkingKindSelfCharacterShowsProblemHandsSpiritualLyingNaturalFailingIdentityPersonalityProudSucceedAchievementPerformancesObedienceImpulseFlawsAcceptableDiscouragedSaviourLoathingSelf LoathingCharacter Flaws Author:Timothy Keller